While it could be charisma, charm, or just a warm inviting smile that gets people to open up and feel comfortable with them, the ability to engage people in an endearing and fun way is usually the key to getting people to like you almost straight away. Mastering these 4 types of jokes in your interactions can instantly make you more likeable. See if you can identify with them or enhance them more with those around you.
1. The Joke’s On You
Making yourself the butt of a joke is probably one of the most obvious ways to make people like you. The importance of learning to laugh at yourself shows others that you don’t take yourself too seriously and instantly makes them feel they’re on a level pegging to you. It’s even been known to be a sign that someone has an optimistic personality [1] With this in mind, don’t be afraid to downplay yourself for the sake of a lighthearted moment. Self-deprecating humour is the basis of many comedians’ jokes and allows you to be more relatable since we all have our insecurities and making light of them shows we are confident and able to admit to having them. “They all laughed when I said I’d become a comedian. Well, they’re not laughing now.”
2. Make Sure You Aren’t Alienating Anyone
Making jokes, especially in a group, requires you to be more attentive to everyone in the room. It’s easy to make a general joke that most would find hilarious but make sure it’s not ostracising anyone or making someone else the butt of the joke. While it could be done in innocent jest and get mostly laughs from people, if that one person gets offended or upset it can be perceived as hurtful. In this case, make sure you keep your banter and joking to general subjects unless you know for sure that you aren’t going to offend anyone. In other words, don’t create a loser – making jokes at someone’s expense is a big no-no if you want people to like you.
3. Play On Their Securities Rather Than Their Insecurities
Poking fun at people or teasing can be a good way to come across as endearing but only if it’s done in the right way. We all have insecurities and these are likely to be around things that are permanent, uncommon or core to our identity. This is why it’s important to be aware of how other people may feel. Making a joke about someone sneezing and throwing their germs towards you is fine because it’s a temporary, common illness that they can’t help. But making a joke about the way someone looks, for example jokingly commenting that a person’s new haircut makes them look like a boy, may be intended as lighthearted but could bring up an insecurity and make you much less likeable.
4. Be An Ego Booster
Another way to poke fun at people is to do it with good context and by that I mean build them up, make them feel good and give their ego a little boost. Then you can throw in a tease at the end. This strategy allows the person to see that you view them as a great person while adding some humour in with the mix. For example: This will instantly allow people to see you as a person that recognises and appreciates the good and accomplishments of others while keeping a playful tone.
Conclusion
Remember that humour is one of the quickest and most affective ways to get people to like you. Be silly, be playful and goofy along with the four pointers above. We are often drawn in by people who are able to do this on a daily basis but how often do we do this ourselves? Work on ways you can add a bit humour and brightness to someone’s day! Featured photo credit: Brooke Cagle via unsplash.com
